Chapter 3

After I finished speaking, I took my parents' hands and turned to leave.

Just then, behind me came a sharp slap, followed by an angry shout. "You're such a disgrace!"

…

Things seemed to have settled after I broke off the engagement, but I knew it was far from over. As long as Cooper Group needed help from Weber Group, Gideon and Erin would never agree to the annulment, and they certainly wouldn't accept Jenna marrying a foreigner.

In my last life, it was because of this pressure that Jenna eventually gave in. Plus, Erin knew how much I cared for Jenna, so she constantly persuaded me.

I had watched her break up with Simon with my own eyes. That man never understood why love alone couldn't hold them together. He tried desperately to win her back but ended up beaten by a group of people. Jenna believed I was behind it all. She blamed everything on me, but I didn't know anything about it.

It turned out it was Gideon, threatening Simon to give up on coming back to Ofrein.

I still remembered the look in Jenna's eyes the day Simon left. It was full of resentment and regret.

I used to think it was just my imagination, but it turned out to be her true feelings.

After that, she went back to acting calm, as if her previous resistance had been fake. She became like any ordinary wife.

I had already been fooled once, so when Erin came around again this time, I refused. I knew Cooper Group needed Weber Group's help, and they wouldn't give up so easily, so I tried to soothe her.

"Marriage and dating are two different things, and there are cultural differences between them. It's better to let them be. Eventually, their feelings will fade, and they'll part naturally. They're in love now. The more we interfere, the stronger their bond grows. It's better to let things take their course."

"You're right. I was overthinking," Erin agreed.

She didn't want to clash with Jenna. Hearing me say that, she naturally assumed I'd wait for Jenna and Simon to split.

I did last time. But why should I do that again this time?

I was the heir to Weber Group. Why should I marry a woman who didn't love me? The Coopers had always been so confident.

Erin patted my shoulder. "You're the bigger person here. I really do see you as a son."

Ha! A son? I bet she wouldn't say that if I weren't the heir to Weber Group.

In my last life, when Jenna did all that, Erin never mentioned the "son" thing. Not once did she mention the help our family had given theirs. Until the very end, Jenna believed it was my family's desperation for their help that made me stubbornly insist on marrying her.

Last time, I was the one who let myself fall so low. But not this time.

In these five years Jenna was abroad, plenty of women from well-matched families had shown an interest in me.

One was Quinn Ford, daughter of Mom's close friend—Kensley Britt—and my junior in college. She had once confessed her feelings to me. I had refused because of my engagement, but honestly, I liked her cheerful, open personality.

When news of my annulled engagement spread, she was the first to rush over. She must have been running too hard because she was still out of breath when she arrived. As soon as she saw me, she ran up and hugged me tight. "Calvin, is it my turn now?"

The last time she told me how she felt, she said she'd wait for me. If I ever broke up with Jenna, she wanted to be the first person I considered.

"Yeah, it's your turn, Quinn. Will you marry me?"

She kept her head down without saying a word. I thought she wouldn't agree.

"If it feels too sudden, we can—"

She lifted her head, stood on tiptoe, and kissed me. After a long moment, she pulled away.

"I do."

Her eyes were red at the corners, and a wave of guilt hit me. I had made her wait too long.

Only now did I realize I had stopped loving Jenna long ago. Waiting for her was just a habit and an obsession. After going through it all, I realized I had already given up on her long ago.

Mom was happy we were together.

After some discussion with our families, we quickly moved on to planning the wedding.

I leaned against the couch, reviewing documents, while Quinn lay across my lap, flipping through a bridal catalog. Though our families agreed the wedding would wait until after Quinn graduated, she strongly opposed it.

"I don't want Calvin to wait anymore, and I don't want to wait either. I just want to marry him. And it's just a wedding. It won't stop me from finishing my studies."

Seeing her determination, our parents gave in.

…

We had many guests at the wedding, but the Coopers weren't invited.

Just as I was about to recite my vows and promise a lifetime together, the doors to the banquet hall suddenly swung open.

Jenna, dressed in a wedding dress, stood before me. "Calvin, if I told you I want to marry you now, would you say yes?"